The present invention relates to the field of hinges. Specifically the invention relates to seat hinges of the type used for boat seats. Such seats commonly have a back that can fold down over the seat and are usually provided with a strap having a snap at the end to hold the seat in a folded position. That arrangement is useful to keep the seat from getting wet while the boat is not in use during a rain storm.
The hinge that is most commonly used is a pair of metal angles which are fastened together with a large rivet. One angle is bolted to the seat bottom and the other to the seat back so that the rivet serves as a pivot for the hinge. These metal hinges can pinch the fingers of the user if the user puts a hand between the parts of the hinge while the seat is being pushed upright. In addition the provision of the strap on the seat involves assembling a snap to the seat and a snap to the strap as well as sewing the strap to the seat back. An additional assembly operation is involved in riveting the parts of each hinge together. Finally, aluminum has become relatively expensive.
The applicants invention by means of unique and simple design improves greatly upon the common arrangement that is used for seat hinges on both seats. The inventor knows of no prior art which accomplishes what his invention accomplishes.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,187 (Herr), discloses a molded plastic seat incorporating a hinge feature. There is a projection 54 on the pin which is part of the seat back which enters a notch 56 to serve as a detent to hold the seat in a folded position. None of the other features of the applicant's invention appear or are present in the Herr invention. Assembly of the Herr invention is taken care of by the use of a resilient material which can change shape enough to permit assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,717 (Levy), shows a folded seat with hinges molded into the seat and seat back but an additional pin 36 is required for assembly. This is much like the rivet of the metal hinge constructed of metal angles riveted together which is prior art in the industry. U.S. Pat. No. 4,383,488 (Macho), shows a folding stool but the pair of legs at each end are interconnected to form a member similar to the back of a chair. The lock is totally different and depends on the movement of the legs to a different vertical position for locking then unlocking with respect to the pivoting portion. The leg members can be assembled, by snapping them into place, due to the flexibility of the materials. U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,907 (Jansons), covers a molded hinge construction in which plastic hinge leaves are used for a purpose totally different from that of the applicant's invention. In Janson's invention the hinge leaves deflect over the pivot and then snap down capturing the pivot as the hinges are being assembled. The hinge is used to attach parts of a chair together for folding at the joint between the legs and the chair arm. U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,325 (Hamilton), shows a totally different type of molded plastic joint with many separate parts and a lock that consists of a gear and a spline. It is not very close to the structure of the applicant's invention. U.S. Pat. No. 3,131,970 (McGregor), is even less similar in structure to the applicant's invention than was the Hamilton patent since it does not show a hinge at all but merely bolted together chair sections. U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,338 (Conn), shows a tubular molded hinge in which a center section with ears is supported in an outer tube with recesses to allow the ears to pass through for assembly but is otherwise very different from the applicant's invention. In particular it has no stops and no built in latch. U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,890 (Pierce), shows a specialized hinge for assembly of printed circuit boards which can be assembled by moving an ordinary cylindrical pin into a hole and then be locked by rotating the circuit board around the hinge so that a projection on the cylindrical hinge member passes into a non-circular part of the hole while it is being assembled and then rotates to a position where it jams against the circular part of the hole to hold it in place. This is very different from the applicant's stops and latches. U.S. Pat. No. 2,677,147 (Phillips), is likewise a two-piece hinge which can be assembled by moving the cylindrical pin sideways into the bore of the other piece but it otherwise completely lacks the stops and latches found in the applicant's hinge. U.S. Pat. No. 230,491 (Peer), is a two-piece hinge which can be assembled because the pin is on a stem projected from the side while the barrel of the hinge is cut away to allow the pin and the stem to be put in place and then rotated to a position in which they will not separate. No other stops or latches are shown.